The duty in context
Fair, reasonable and lawful fees client
The lawyer's remuneration must be fair and reasonable, must comply with any restrictions on contingency or percentage charging, and the lawyer must not propose or accept an illegal fee arrangement.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 1.2; CCS 5.1(d) partial 34 cases
1.2 You do not abuse your position by taking unfair advantage of clients or others. 5.1 ... (d) you do not receive payments relating to a referral or make payments to an introducer in respect of clients who are the subject of criminal proceedings.
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook rC9.7 partial 15 cases
rC9.7 you must only propose, or accept, fee arrangements which are legal.
BSB Handbook Part 2: Code of Conduct · 5.0 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.3.2(g) partial
only propose, or accept, fee arrangements which are legal
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rule 12.2 partial 30 cases
A solicitor must not do anything: (a) calculated to dispose a client or a third party to confer on the solicitor, either directly or indirectly, any benefit in excess of the solicitor's fair and reasonable remuneration for legal services provided to the client, or (b) that the solicitor knows, or ought reasonably to anticipate, is likely to induce the client or third party to confer such a benefit and is not reasonably incidental to the performance of the retainer.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules rr22,46 partial 11 cases
A barrister must not set the level of an acceptable fee, for the purposes of Rule 21(c), higher than the barrister would otherwise set if the barrister were willing to accept the brief, with the intent that the solicitor may be deterred from continuing to offer the brief to the barrister. ... exercise any undue influence intended to dispose the client to benefit the barrister in excess of the barrister's fair remuneration.
Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch10 — Excessive fees; Restriction on calculation of charges as a percentage of damages strong 2 cases
it is an implied term of the contract between the solicitor and the client that the remuneration of the solicitor will be fair and reasonable... In contentious matters, except debt collection matters, a solicitor may not calculate charges as a specified percentage or proportion of any damages or other monies that may become payable to the client.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 12.7; Rule 12.4 strong 2 cases
Barristers may not accept instructions on condition that payment will be subsequently fixed as a percentage or other proportion of the amount awarded other than in relation to a matter seeking only to recover a debt or liquidated demand.
Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon IV(e); Canon IV(f) strong 10 cases
(e) An Attorney shall not enter into an agreement for or charge or collect an illegal fee. (f) The fees that an Attorney may charge shall be fair and reasonable and in determining the fairness and reasonableness of a fee any of the following factors may be taken into account
Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.4.2 g) partial
Members must: ... g) only propose, or accept, fee arrangements which are legal.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 3.6-1; r 3.6-2 strong
3.6-1 A lawyer shall not charge or accept any amount for a fee or disbursement unless it is fair and reasonable and has been disclosed in a timely fashion. [3.6-2 Subject to rule 3.6-1, except in family law, Criminal Code (Canada) or any other criminal or quasi-criminal matters, a lawyer may enter into a contingency fee agreement in accordance with the Solicitors Act and the regulations made under it.]
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 3.6-1 strong 3 cases
A lawyer must not charge or accept a fee or disbursement, including interest, unless it is fair and reasonable and has been disclosed in a timely fashion.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 9 strong
A lawyer must not charge a client more than a fee that is fair and reasonable for the services provided, having regard to the interests of both client and lawyer and having regard also to the factors set out in rule 9.1.
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct B1.11 strong 10 cases
The fees you charge must be fair and reasonable in all the circumstances.
Law Society of Scotland — Practice Rules 2011, Rule B1 (Standards of Conduct) · 2011 · archived copy · official source ↗
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 r 17 (Professional fees and costs); r 18 (Contingency fees prohibited) partial 5 cases
17 Professional fees and costs; 18 Contingency fees prohibited
Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 4.13 / Principle 4.17 strong
A solicitor must not overcharge. ... A solicitor may not enter into a contingency fee arrangement for acting in contentious proceedings: see section 64 of the Legal Practitioners Ordinance (Cap. 159).
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 9.1(b); para 9.9 strong
in default of such agreement between the barrister and the instructing person, a proper and reasonable sum in all the circumstances. ... A practising barrister may not accept a brief or instructions on terms that payment of fees shall depend upon or be related to a contingency.
Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cases dealing with this duty
114 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern
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Clark, Reanna (Aka Jessica Chanelle) Biancé
Misappropriated trust money Misled the trust account investigator in the exercise of his functions Borrowed moneys from client contrary to Rule 12.3 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rul…
Suspension of Practising Certificate for year ending 30 June 2018 $0.00 About About the OLSC The Commissioner History Mission statement Structure Contact Contact the OLSC Give us your feedback: online surveys Access to information (GIPAA) Community information Information for lawyers Fact sheets FAQs Other regulatory and complaint-handling organisations Contact LawAccess NSW for legal information " You and Your Lawyer", Hot Topics 78 Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC), State Library of NSW , provides access to information about the law in NSW regarding your lawyer Privacy Copyright and Disclaimer Website accessibility View decision -
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Kieran Quill
In the matter of Kieran Quill, a solicitor formerly practising as principal of J Hodnett & Son, Solicitors, Nelson House, Emmet Place, Youghal, Co Cork, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [4513/DT112/14,…
strike_off View decision -
Berwick, John Patrick
Professional Misconduct: Practitioner received two payments of trust money from his (then) client in June and July 2012 in contravention of section 252 LPA 2004 by depositing those monies into a mortgage account before …
Costs Reprimand Undertaking, to be filed in the Tribunal, that he will not apply for a practising certificate as a barrister or as a solicitor in any jurisdiction at any time in the future Ordered to pay compensation in the amount of $25,000 (NSWCATOD 06.09.2017) $0.00 3 PDFs View decision -
Humphrey Lee Mcpherson
Struck off, Restitution ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered January 30, 2016. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 206/2002 BETWEEN IELA JOYCE STUART…
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Quinn, Michael John
1. Incurring costs without authority 2. Charging outside scale 3. Charging grossly excessive costs — A reasonable likelihood of a finding of unsatisfactory professional conduct
Reprimand $0.00 About About the OLSC The Commissioner History Mission statement Structure Contact Contact the OLSC Give us your feedback: online surveys Access to information (GIPAA) Community information Information for lawyers Fact sheets FAQs Other regulatory and complaint-handling organisations Contact LawAccess NSW for legal information " You and Your Lawyer", Hot Topics 78 Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC), State Library of NSW , provides access to information about the law in NSW regarding your lawyer Privacy Copyright and Disclaimer Website accessibility View decision -
Steven Platts & Another
Breaches, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Premji Naran Patel
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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John Philip Dunne
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Chandrika Achala Devi URBAN
Guilty of professional misconduct on 9 charges. Guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct on 6 charges.
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MARTIN LEE SEGLER
Professional Misconduct
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PAUL JOHN O'HALLORAN
Professional Misconduct
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Scroope, Philip James
Conduct in the preparation of a bill of costs resulting in the charging of grossly excessive legal costs — Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct
Costs Fine Reprimand $2,000.00 Appeal Status: Upheld in Part Appeal Decision View decision -
Keddie, Russell Walter
Charging of grossly excessive fees — Professional Misconduct
Costs Removal of practitioner's name from the Roll of Local Lawyers Local practising certficate not to be issued to the practitioner before the expiration of five years following date of ADT decision $0.00 View decision -
Sheehan, Marshall
1. Transferring costs without authority 2. Failure to render accounts 3. Making unlawful/unauthorised drawings from trust funds 4. Wilfully breaching section 61 of the Legal Profession Act, 1987 - handling of trust mone…
Costs Removal of practitioner's name from the Roll of Local Lawyers $0.00 View decision -
Rico Rey Hipolito
Agreed Statement of Facts
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William John Owen
Breaches, Client Money, Criminal Convictions, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Jacqueline Levesque
Agreed Statement of Facts
Duty classification does not yet cover every jurisdiction (Ontario, New Zealand and Singapore decisions are indexed but not yet duty-classified), so counts here understate those corpora.